Caps for collapsible tube dispensers



March 24, 1959 R. A. FREDERICK 2,

CAPS FOR COLLAPSIBLE TUBE DISPENSERS Filed Apr11 15, 1957 INVENTOR.

Rem/=16. Bez a szzc-K.

a; r EA/E Y.

CAPS FUR COLLAPSHSLE TUBE DISPENSERS Ralph A. Frederick, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application April 15, 1957, Serial No. 652,861

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-498) The invention constitutes a modification of that shown 1n my Patent 2,726,014 issued December 6, 1955, and differs therefrom primarily in the fact that the swinging closure member 2 can be made shorter than the swinging closure member of the patent.

One object of my invention is to provide a closure cap that can readily be applied to conventional types of collapsible tube dispensers and which may be readily used with a succession of dispenser tubes.

Another object of my invention is to provide a closure member for the discharge orifice of a dispenser tube, that can readily be operated simply by the thumb of the user and which will not protrude in a manner to be in danger of becoming accidentally opened through engagement with extraneous objects.

As shown in the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary View of a collapsible dispenser tube of conventional form.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof with my improved cap in place as a substitute for the conventional tube cap.

Fig. 3 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan view.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing my improved cap with the swinging closure member of Fig. 4 removed.

Fig. 6 is an inverted plan view of the cap member of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the cap and the swinging closure member therefor.

A cap member 3 has a hole 4 that is interiorly threaded for engagement with the conventional threaded discharge orifice or spout 5 of an ordinary collapsible tube 6. In other words, the member 3 can be substituted for the usual screw threaded closure cap. This cap member 3 is shown in inverted plan in Fig. 6 and is recessed at areas 7 in its under surface (Fig. 6) so as to provide web-like portions 8 which carry bosses 9 and are somewhat flexible for snap engagement with the swinging closure member 2. The swinging closure member at one end has a pair of recesses or hinge elements 10 and at its other end has a pair of recesses or hinge elements 11. These recesses make snap engagement with bosses or complementary hinge elements at 9 when the member is in its closed position within the channel in the cap member 3. When the member 2 is swung about the bosses 9 at one end of the channel, the bosses 9 at the other end of the channel will serve as frictional holding elements, in cooperation with the recesses 10 or 11 as the case may be, to yieldably hold the member 2 closed. The closure member 2 also has a teat or plug 12 that enters into and closes the tube orifice 5 when the member 2 is closed. Also, the member 2 is provided with ribs 14 on one end and 15 on the other end, whereby the member can be raised by the vertical thrust of the users thumb, either about the recesses 10 and bosses 9 as a pivot or about the recesses 11 and the other pair of bosses 9, to thereby remove the stopper or teat 12 from the orifice 5. The cap 3 is cut away at the areas 16 and 17 at its opposite sides to facilitate engagement by the users thumb with the ribs 14 and 15.

Patented Mar. 24, 1959 It will, of course, be understood that the positions of the bosses 9 and the recesses 10-11 can be reversed in that the recesses could be provided in the web-like portions 8 and the bosses on the closure member 2.

The orifice 4 is undercut somewhat as is also the teat 12 as indicated at 13 and 19 respectively (Fig. 7), so that there will be snap fit when the cap member 2 is closed, to reduce danger of accidental opening thereof.

If desired, a hinge pin could be extended through the members 2 and 3 at one end instead of using bosses and recesses at that end, in which case, the cap member could be lifted only at its other end. In either case, the cap member is largely protected against accidental opening, because of its semi-concealment in the channel of the member 9.

I claim as my invention:

1. A closure for a dispensing container comprising, a cap portion of circular form, a channel extending entirely across the upper surface of said cap portion, a discharge orifice defined by said cap portion, said discharge orifice being centrally located in said channel, a bar-like closure member approximately equal in length with said channel and being movable into and out of said channel, a teat on said closure member midway between its ends, said teat plugging said orifice when the closure member is seated in said channel, hinge elements at the sides of the closure member near each of its ends, complementary hinge elements in the sides of the channel, the said hinge elements at each end of the closure member having yieldable engagement with the complementary hinge elements in the channel, so that the hinge elements at one end of the closure member will serve as a pivotal support when the other end of the closure member is swung upwardly and the hinge elements at said last-named end, thereby disengaged.

2. A closure for a dispensing container that has a top portion of circular form and provided with a channel in the upper surface of the top, across the entire diameter of the top, there being a centrally-located discharge orifice through the bottom of the channel, a closure member of bar-like form that is approximately equal in length to the length of the channel, movable into and out of the channel and having a sealing element between its ends that closes said orifice when the closure member is seated in the channel, a hinge connecting one end of the closure member between the channel side walls, frictional holding elements on the sides of the channel near the other end of the closure member, and holding elements on the sides of the closure member near said other end, that have yieldable engagement with the said frictional holding elements and will become disengaged therefrom when the last-named end of the closure member is raised to uncover the orifice, and said one end rocked on said hinge.

3. A container as recited in claim 2, wherein the orifice is through a raised area at the bottom of the channel and the sealing element is in the form of a teat that extends into the orifice, when the closure member is seated in the channel.

4. A container as recited in claim 3, wherein the said raised area has undercut portions with which undercut portions at the said teat have snap engagement when the closure member is seated in the channel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,597,421 Ball Aug. 24, 1926 2,529,817 Russell Nov. 14, 1950 2,544,095 Kower Mar. 6, 1951 2,717,728 Gray Sept. 13, 1955 2,726,014 Frederick Dec. 6, 1955 

